Downing Bye Fellow awarded Royal Society of Chemistry prize 

Downing Bye Fellow Dr Ed Pyzer-Knapp awarded Royal Society of Chemistry Interdisciplinary Prize 

Congratulations to Downing Bye Fellow, Dr Ed Pyzer-Knapp, on being awarded the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) Interdisciplinary Prize 2026, which recognises researchers whose work has made outstanding contributions across disciplinary boundaries. 

Ed, who co-founded and leads scientific development at AI company Xyme, has been recognised for his pioneering work bringing together chemistry, physics and artificial intelligence to advance molecular discovery, and is among the youngest recipients in the award's history. 

Following a PhD at Cambridge, postdoctoral research at Harvard University and nine years leading research innovation programmes at IBM, Ed has built an international reputation at the intersection of physical sciences and AI. At Xyme, he leads the development of the company's novel "morphogenic AI" technology, which is designed to create entirely new catalytic molecules for applications in industry and healthcare. 

Commenting on the award, Ed said: "I'm honoured to receive the RSC Interdisciplinary Prize. The previous recipients are a who's who of interdisciplinary chemistry; it is a privilege to be among them. The award comes at the right moment. The work of the last decade is beginning to bear fruit and I know at Xyme, I'm exactly where I need to be to make the most of it." 

Professor Graham Virgo KC (Hon), Master of Downing College, said: "Everyone at Downing is delighted for Ed. He is an outstanding scientist whose career has been defined by intellectual curiosity and a willingness to cross traditional disciplinary boundaries. It has been a pleasure to welcome him as a Bye Fellow of the College and we are proud to celebrate this well-deserved recognition of his achievements." 

Xyme, which is headquartered in Oxford, collaborates with and supports research led by Professor David Wales FRS, further strengthening links between frontier AI research and Cambridge's world-leading chemistry community.
 

Published on 30 June 2026